The present invention relates to a roll forming device.
A solid polymer fuel cell is formed of a stack of multiple single cells. The single cell has a separator forming a hydrogen flow passage, a fuel electrode, a solid polymer membrane, an air electrode, and a separator forming an air flow passage. These separators are required to have conductivity and mechanical strength and are formed of a conductive metal plate, for example. The plate is formed into a shape with projections and recesses and this shape with projections and recesses is used to form the hydrogen or air flow passage.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-75900 describes a roll forming device that forms the aforementioned metallic plate into a shape with projections and recesses. According to a die roll described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-75900, grooves having projections and recesses are formed to extend along the entire circumference of each of upper and lower rolls. The projections or the projections and recesses of the lower roll are fitted in between the projections or the projections and recesses of the upper roll. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-75900, for positioning the upper and lower rolls, an elastic member such as an air spring or rubber is provided in the direction of the thrust of a bearing provided to one or both sides of at least one of these rolls. This allows the respective centers of the projections and recesses of one roll to agree with those of the other roll, thereby avoiding misalignment between the rolls.
Japanese Patent No. 2568285 uses a roll forming device as a device for manufacturing an expanded mesh sheet. According to Japanese Patent No. 2568285, each of an upper roll and a lower roll is formed by stacking multiple disk-shaped cutters at predetermined intervals. Multiple projections are formed at a predetermined pitch along the periphery of each of the disk-shaped cutters.
If a roll of a roll forming device is to be formed by stacking disk-shaped cutters (hereinafter referred to as cutting blades), multiple cutting blades 22 may be stacked on each tubular retainer 21 as shown in FIG. 7, and the retainer 21 with the stacked cutting blades 22 may be assembled by allowing a rotary shaft 16 (not shown) to pass through the retainer 21. In this case, the thickness in the stacking direction of the cutting blades 22 is controlled for each retainer 21.